Tape-moistener and dispenser



June 16, 1959 WALDSCHMDT 2,890,676

TAPE- MOISTENER AND DISPENSER Filed Jung 1. I956 fiit- 32 IN VEN TOR.HENRY WALDS CHMIDT ATTORNEY TAPE-MOISTENERAND DISPENSER HenryWaldschrnidt, Quiver" City, alif.

Application June 1,,1-9'56, SerialNo. 588,830

11 Claims. (Cl. 118-43) This invention relates to a tape moistener anddispenser andhas as its general'object'to provide an improved device formoistening and dispensinglengths of gummed tape from a roll containedwithin the device.

The invention relates particularly to improvements in mechanism forfeeding water to a moistening roller which in turn transfers a film ofwater'toth'egumrned face of alength" of tape. In particular, theinvention aims to provide a means for forcibly feeding a quantity ofwater upwardly from a reservoir through a wick device to a moisteningroller, such means being'actuated by a hand lever;

A further object isto provide means,.actuated by a handflever,forpresenting the tape to the moistening roller, guidingit as it isrolled over the moistening roller, then, in a further stage of actuatingmovement, gripping the tapeto provide an anchorage from which the tapecan 'be pulled against a parting edge for severing the moistenedsectionfrom the body of the tape; and, in a return movement of the actuator,slightly advancing the remaining end of the tape beyond .theparting'edge so that it maybe readily grasped for the next operation.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications andappended drawing in which:

Figure 1" isa side viewof a mo'istener and dispenser embodying myinvention, parts being broken away to illustrate internal construction;

Figure 2 is an end view of the same;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of thesame, in an intermediatestage of actuation;

Figure 4'is a sectional view of the same in afinalposi- .tion'ofadvancing movement of the actuator.

Referring. now to the drawings in detail, Ihave shown therein,,as anexample of one form in which the invention maybe embodied, a moistening.dispenser embodying generally a casing including a rectangular sectionIt) and a semi-cylindrical end section ll hinged thereto at 12'. Casingltl'includes a bottom 13' (Fig.4), a vertical endiwall 14, side walls15,, a semi-cylindrical internal 16, together with partition wall 17which is joined tangently. thereto, cooperate with end wall 14,- sidewalls. and bottom 13 to define .a Water reservoir 18 widening.toward'the bottom.

End section 11 includes a semi cylindrical. wall 19 which cooperateswith internal wall 16 to define a cylindrieal roll holder chamber 20 inwhich is received a roll 21 ofgnmmed tape. End section 11 also includesarcuate sidewall members '22 each in the form of a half of aflatring'havinga semi-circular inner margin 23 which abuts a semi circulararched portion 24 of respective side wall member 15. Arched s'ectio'ns24define one side of sight openings 25 in the side wall members 15, at theaxisof roll chamber 20, through which the roll 21 may be viewed. Theends of arcuate members 22 abut the ends of side wall members 15 in avertical plane indicated at 26.

Attached to end casing section 11 near its extremity oppositeihinge 12,are laterally spaced "brackets 27 (Fig. 3) each including a sleeveportion '27 mounting a bushing'28. A pivot shaft'29 is mounted inbushings 28, is projected through and secured in respective side membersof an actuator lever 30 of channel form, and secured therein by heads'31 on its respective ends. Lever 30 includes a web portion 32, .sideflanges 33, ahandle portion 34 projecting as an'extension of the end ofweb portion 32 remote from pivot shaft 29, a pair of armis35 projectingas extensions of flanges 33; and a tail portion 36 projecting' as anextension of the other end of web 32 beyond pivot shaft 29 andfunctioning as a stop by engagement with the outer wall of end section11 adjacent bracket 27. When tail section 36 is thus engaged, it definesa retracted position of lever 30 wherein the body thereof extends at anangle of approximately 30 degrees to the dividing plane where casingsections 10 and 11 adjoin. From this retracted position, lever 30 may beshifteddownwardly approximately 30 degrees by finger or thumb pressureagainst handle 34, to the limit position shown'in Fig. 4.

A torsionspringjtd' is coiled aboutpivot shaft 29 and has respectiveend'arms engaging web 32 and end section'wall 19 under a spring loadwhich returns lever 30 to itsretracted position when pressurethereagainst is released.

Extending between and mounted in the respective arms 35, at the ends.thereof is a shaft 37 on which is rotatably mounted a roller 37'. Alsomounted between the arms'35 is'a bar 38' with a smooth rounded surface,spaced rearwardly from roller 37'.

The adjoining ends of semi-cylindrical wall sections 16 and 19, oppositeends 12, are slightly spaced to define a gap 39 through which the web oftape 21 passes onto a table dfiwhich extends :between and is secured toside wall members 15, has one endljoined to the end of wall section 16adjacent gap 39 and extends. forwardly therefrom, in tangent relationthereto. A carnming apron 41 is joined'integrally to the underside oftable slightly back of its forward end, which defines a lip 42. Apronift is continued vertically downwardly to provide a shoulder 43, fromthe lower end of which a bridge 44 is inclined upwardly and forwardlyand joined to the upper end of "intermediate wall section 17 A knife 45'of hood form includes a web portion 46 and Wings 47 extending downwardlytherefrom in embracing relation to arms 35' and side wall members 15.The outer end of web 46 provides a'parting edge 48 against'which tapeweb 21 can besevered by pulling the tape upwardly against said edge 4-8,when the knife 45 has been lowered to proximate relation to tape web asin Fig. 4. The rear end of web 46 is bifurcated and formed into hingeloops 49 which are wrapped around bushings 5i mounted on a hinge pin 51extending between and mounted in flanges '32 atthe free end of thechannel body portion of lever 30; A torsion spring 52 is coiled aboutpin 51 and includes respective branches bearing against'handle 3.4 andweb 46 to provide a spring load which urges the members 3'4" and 46apart and causes them to separate in the retracted'position of lever 30,to

3. separate downwardly from web 46 during a first stage of downwardmovement of lever 30. In a second stage of such movement, bar 53 n'desdownwardly against shoulder 43 and allows knife 45 to tilt downwardly tobring parting edge 48 close to the end of tape web 21' to be severed.

' A moistening roller 54, which may be of ceramic material, has endtrunnions 55 by means of which it is rotatably mounted in upwardlyopening mounting forks 56 projecting upwardly from side walls 15.Moistening roller 54 is disposed forwardly of roller 37'. The tape web21' extends forwardly and downwardly around bar 38 and beneath roller37'. When lever 30 is depressed the portion of the tape projectingforwardly from roller 37 extends upwardly and forwardly over moisteningroller 54 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The downward movement of lever 30presents the tape to the roller 54.

Beneath roller 54 is a water feeding wick 57 of sponge material, encasedbetween a pair of jaw members 58 and 59, the former being seated againstcasing end wall 14. Jaw member 59 is formed integrally with crank arms60 which project toward lever 30 in snugly embracing relation to arms35. Near their free end, the opposite ends of arms 60 are integrallyjoined to jaw 59, whereby downward movement of arms 35, transmitted toarms 60 through cross bar 38, functions to shift jaw 59 from theretracted position shown in Fig. 3 (in which wick 57 is expanded) to theclosed position shown in Fig. 4 (in which wick 57 is compressed, therebyfeeding water upwardly against roller 54. The jaws 58, 59, wick 57 androller 54 constitute a removable unit supported in position byengagement of trunnions 55 in notches 56. The unit is removed whenreservoir 18 is to be filled.

The under margins of arms 60, at the free ends thereof, are contoured soas to parallel the lip 42, the cam apron 41 and the shoulder 43,cooperating with these members to define guide slots for the cross bar53 when the arms 60 are in their normal elevated positions.

The ends of bar 38 project beyond arms 35, for engagement in notches 61in crank arms 60 as the lever 30 is depressed. Such engagement occurs atthe stage illustrated in Fig. 3, while bar 38 is still above the planejoining the axes of shaft 29 and roller 54. Further downward movementprovides a toggle action that results in spreading the casing sections10, 11 about hinge 12, to open the gap 39 so as to release the tap web21' so that it can be easily pulled from the dispenser. The engagementof bar 53 against shoulder 43 resists this spreading movement,transferring the spring load of spring 52 to the toggle linkage 35, 60and operating to close the gap 39 and open jaws 58, 59 when the lever 30is retracted upwardly.

Extending between and secured to arms 35 adjacent the main body of lever30 is a brake shoe 62, which, in the fully depressed position of lever30 (Fig. 4) engages the tape web 21 against table 40 and anchors thetape so that a pull may be applied to the outer end of the tape withoutunrolling the tape roll 21. This pull may be utilized for prmsing thetape web upwardly against parting edge 48 to sever the tape.

Attached to the upper end of jaw 59 and movable therewith, is a watersealing vane 65 of thin resilient sheet metal which extends full widthbetween wall members 15 and bears against the corner defined betweenpartition wall 17 and bridge member 44. Sealing vane 65 is disposedtangent to an are centered on the axis of roller 54 and maintainscontact with the upper extremity of partition 17 during the movement ofjaw 59 to closed position. It is spaced from roller 54 suflicient toprovide a recess large enough to catch all overflow from the upper endof wick 57 and to direct it downwardly through a centrally disposedoverflow aperture 66 in its lower side, into the space between jaw 59and partition 17, thus re its escaping into the area above bridge member44.

The casing sections 10 and 11 are latched together, in the retractedposition of lever 30, by the engagement of bar 53 beneath retainer lip42. By slightly depressing lever 30 to project the bar 53 to a positionclearing the lip 42, the hood 45 can be lifted to unlatch the casing,allowing the casing to be opened so that a new roll of tape can beinserted into chamber 20.

With the bar 53 engaged against lip 42, the spring load of spring 52 isapplied through lever 30 to casing section 11 to close gap 39, pressingthe upper end of wall 19 (functioning as a jaw) against tape web 21' andclamping the latter against the rear end of wall 16 to hold the tape web21' against drawing into roll chamber 20 and pulling away from roller37.

The operation of the apparatus has been partially described in theforegoing description, but will be summarized at this point. With thelever 30 in the retracted position shown in Fig. l, the operator graspsthe projecting end 21" of tape web 21 between the fingers of one handwhile engaging handle 34 with the thumb or fingers of the other hand andapplying downward pressure. This movement swings arms 35 downwardly,lowering the tape toward moistening roller 54.

In the latter stage of depression of lever 30, bar 53 fulcrums againstshoulder 43 to take the reaction load of compression of wick 57,transmitted through lever arms 60 and pin 38 to lever 30, and near theend of the operation, end section 20 recedes from casing section 10 toopen gap 39. With the tape thus released, the operator draws the tapeoutwardly to a small extent, sufficient to enable him to press the tapeagainst roller 54 while maintaining his grip on the end of the tape.Having applied the tape to the roller 54, he then draws any desiredlength of tape across the roller, moistening it.

During the initial stage of actuation, the ends of bar 38 enter notches61 in levers 60 and bar 53 rides against camming apron 41. During thesecond stage of depression of lever 30, bar 53 drops downwardly alongshoulder 43, allowing hood 45 to be tilted downwardly by the action ofspring 52. Arms 35 continue to move downwardly and :bar 38, engaged inthe bottoms of notches 61, actuate lever 60 to swing jaw 59 into closedrelation to jaw 58, squeezing wick 57 and feeding water upwardlytherefrom against roller 54.

At the end of the operation, bar 62 is clamped against the tape web 21',to hold it while the tape is severed against knife edge 48.

I claim:

1. In a tape moistening and dispensing device: a casing having at oneend a reservoir and at its other end a tape roll chamber; a moisteningroller rotatably mounted in the top of said reservoir; a lever hinged tothe top of said roll chamber and having a pair of spaced arms projectingtoward said roller and provided with tape-guiding means at their freeends; means yieldingly biasing said lever away from said roller to aretracted position from which t may be manually depressed for movingsaid tape-guildmg means toward the roller; a tape-severing knife hingedat one end to said lever, extending over said arms and having at itsother end a severing edge; means acting between said lever and saidknife to bias said knife away from said roller; and actuator meansacting between said knife and said casing for eflFecting relativemovement between said knife and said lever in response to depression ofsaid lever, such as to elfect separation between said severing edge andsaid tape-guiding means and simultaneously to advance said knife towardsaid roller, the movement of said tape-guiding means toward the rollerbeing elfective to position the free end of a length of tape retained bysaid tape-guiding means in proximity to the roller whereby the tape maybe applied against the roller and drawn thereover to dispense andmoisten a selected length of the tape, and may then be raised intocontact with said severing edge and severed; the return of said lever toits retracted position being operative to effect return of saidtape-guidin'g'means' toward 'said severing edge and to therebyproject'the 'freeen'd'of the remaining body of tape past said severingedgeto facilitate'grasping thereof for a subsequent .dispensingoperatiomjsai'd actuator means comprising a transverse followerbarcarried by said knife b'elow'saidlever'arms; and a camming apron on saidcasing, engaged by said followenbar and so inclined with reference tothe hinge axis of-said lever as to limit downward movement of "saidk'r'iife'assaid lever is depressed;-so as to 'eifect separatioir'betweensaid knife and lever. p

2. A tape moistening and dispensing device as defined in claim 1,wherein said knife is of hood form, including a generally horizontal webportion and laterally spaced parallel cheeks projectingdownwardly'fromrespective sides thereof, said follower bar being mountedin said cheeks at its ends and bridging between-said cheeks.

3. A tape moistening and dispensing device as defined in claim 1,wherein said knife 'is hinged to said lever at a distance from the hingeaxis of the lever.

4. A tape moisteninganddispensing device as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid knife is hinged to said lever at a distance from the hinge axis ofthe lever and wherein said knife-biasing means comprises a torsionspring acting between said lever and knife to urge the knife downwardlywith respect to the lever.

5. In a tape moistening and dispensing device, a casing comprising amain section including a water reservoir at one end and an outwardlyopening cavity at its other end, and an end section hinged to the bottomof said main section at said other end and cooperating with said cavityto define a tape roll chamber; a moistening roller rotatably mounted inthe top of said reservoir; a lever hinged to the free extremity of saidend section and having a pair of spaced arms projecting toward saidroller and provided with tape-guiding means at their free ends; meansyieldingly biasing said lever away from said roller to a retractedposition from which it may be manually depressed for moving saidtape-guiding means toward the roller; a tape-severing knife hinged atone end to said lever, extending over said arms and having at its otherend a severing edge; means acting between said lever and said knife tobias said knife away from said roller; and actuator means acting betweensaid knife and said casing for effecting relative movement between saidknife and said lever in response to depression of said lever forpositioning said knife for severing of said tape, said actuator meansfurther functioning to link said end casing section to said main sectionthrough said lever and knife so as to maintain said casing sections inclosed relation to one another.

6. A moistening and dispensing device as defined in claim 5, whereinsaid actuator means comprises a transverse follower bar carried by saidknife below said lever arms, and a camming apron on said casing, engagedby said follower bar and so inclined with reference to the hinge axis ofsaid lever as to limit downward movement of said knife as said lever isdepressed, so as to effect separation between said knife and lever, andwherein said casing includes, at the upper extremity of said apron, alip overhanging said apron, beneath which said follower bar is hookedwhen said lever is retracted.

7. In a tape moistening and dispensing device: a casing having at oneend a reservoir and at its other end a tape roll chamber; a moisteningroller rotatably mounted in the top of said reservoir; a lever hinged tothe top of said roll chamber and having a pair of spaced arms projectingtoward said roller and provided with tape-guiding means at their freeends; means yieldingly biasing said lever away from said roller to aretracted position from which it may be manually depressed for movingsaid tape-guiding means toward the roller; a compressible, resilient,absorbent wick disposed below said roller in said reservoir; a pair ofjaws between which said wick is embraced, one of said jaws being pivotedat its upper end to the casing for swinging movement toward'th'e otherjaw' to squeeze'the wick and thereby feed water from the'wick onto saidroller, said one jaw having a'pair-of-spacedarms embracing said'lever'arms, the latterha-ving means engaging said jaw arms andoperative to transmitdownward movement of the leverarmsto said jaw armsto effect closing movement'of said'onejawtoward the'other jaw as'thelever is depressed.

8. A moistening and'dispensing device as defined-in claim '7, includingatape-severing knife hinged at one end to said lever, extending=oversaid arms and having at its other end'a severing edge; means actingbetween said leverand said knife-to bias said" knife away from saidroller; andactuator'mea'ns acting between said-knife and said casing foreffecting relative movement between said knife and said'lever inresponse to depression of said lever," such-as to'effect'separationbetween said severing edgeand said tape-guiding-'-means andsimultaneou's'lyto advance said"knifetoward said roller;-the movement ofsaid "tape-guiding meanstoward the roller being effective to positionthe freeend of alength of tape retained by said tape-guiding means inproximity to the roller whereby the tape may be applied against theroller and drawn thereover to dispense and moisten a selected length ofthe tape, and may then be raised into contact with said severing edgeand severed; the return of said lever to its retracted position beingoperative to effect return of said tape-guiding means toward saidsevering edge and to thereby project the free end of the remaining bodyof tape past said severing edge to facilitate grasping thereof for asubsequent dispensing operation.

9. In a tape moistening and dispensing device: a casing having at oneend a reservoir and at its other end a tape roll chamber; a moisteningroller rotatably mounted in the top of said reservoir; a lever hinged tothe top of said roll chamber and having a pair of spaced arms projectingtoward said roller and provided with tape-guiding means at their freeends; means yieldingly biasing said lever away from said roller to aretracted position from which it may be manually depressed for movingsaid tape-guiding means toward the roller; a tape-severing knife hingedat one end to said lever, extending over said arms and having at itsother end a severing edge; means acting between said lever and saidknife to bias said knife away from said roller; said casing having a gapat the top of said chamber, through which the tape web may emerge fromsaid chamber, said casing including a table extending toward said rollerfrom said gap; and a bar carried by said lever and adapted to clamp thetape web against said table at the lower limit of lever movement, tohold the tape so that it may be pulled taut against said knife to severa moistened length of the tape from the tape remaining in the dispenser.

10. A moistening and dispensing device as defined in claim 7, saidcasing comprising sections hinged to one another and cooperativelydefining said tape roll chamber, with a gap for passage of said tapebetween adjacent edges of said sections opposite said hinge, one of saidsections being a reservoir section having said reservoir therein and theother section providing the hinge mounting for said lever; and actuatormeans including a con nection between said jaw arms and lever arms,operative with a toggle action to spread said casing sections slightlyto open said gap to release said tape; and means providing a connectionbetween said knife and the reservoir section of said casing, resistingsaid spreading movement and resulting in resilient springing loads beingset up in said casing in response to the said toggle action, suchspringing loads being operative to normally draw said casing sectionstogether and clamp said tape therebetween.

11. In a tape moistening and dispensing device: a casing having at oneend a reservoir and at its other end a tape roll chamber; a moisteningroller rotatably mounted in the top of said reservoir; a lever hinged tothe top of said roll chamber and having a pair of spaced arms projecting*7 toward said roller and provided with tape-guiding means at their freeends; meansyieldingly biasing said lever away from said roller to aretracted position from which it may be manually depressed for movingsaid tape-guiding means toward the roller; a tape-severing knife hingedat one end to said lever, extending over said arms and having at itsother end a severing edge; means acting between said lever and saidknife to bias said knife away from said roller; said casing having a gapat the top of said chamber, through which the tape web may emerge fromsaid chamber, said casing including sections hinged to one another tocooperatively define said roll chamber, with said gap being definedbetween adjoining edges thereof at a point diametrically opposite theirhinged connection; water feeding means including a wick within saidreservoir and a pair of jaws for squeezing the same, one of said jawshaving a pair of arms, and an operative connection between said jaw armsand said lever arms for transmitting jaw closing movement from saidlever to said jaw as the lever is depressed, said connection beingoperative with a toggle action to spread said casing sections slightlyto open said gap to release said tape; and means providing a connectionbetween said knife and the reservoir section of said casing, resistingsaid spreading movement and resulting in resilient springing loads beingset up in said casing in response to said toggle action, such springingloads being operative to' normally draw said casing sections togetherand clamp said tape therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS900,352 Browne Oct. 6, 1908 1,195,894 Anable Aug. 22, 1916 1,212,873Adams Ian. 16, 1917 1,548,258 Davis Aug. 4, 1925 1,563,209 McIntire Nov.24, 1925 2,232,708 Krueger Feb. 25, 1941 2,737,149 Collins et a1 Mar. 6,1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 984,142 France Feb. 21, 1951

